Retinoscope.



L. W. BUGBEE.-

RETINOSCOPE.

APPLICATION IFILED Auen. me.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

l N VEN TOR LHC/ W zlaff Mdnum al nlomumm. Humm: rou. nl.

TINTTEB STATES PATEN T @FFT@E.

LUCIAN W. BUGBEE, 0F SOUTI-IBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN'OPTICAL COMPANY, 0F SOUTI-IBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A VOLUNTARY ASSOCIA-TION 0F MASSACHUSETTS.

RETINOSCOPE.

Application led August 7, 1916.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LUGIAN W. BUGBEE., a citizen of the United States,residing at Southbridge, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRetinoscopes, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in eye testing devices and hasparticular refer'- ence to an improved construction of retinoscope orsimilar device for use in the testing of eyes by the projection of abeam of light onto the eye.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of adevice of this character in which the operator will have a clearer andless obstructed view of the eye of the patient than is possible withpresent known forms of devices. Y

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device whichwill relieve the eyes of both the operator and the patient from acertain amount of strain hitherto present in connection with devices ofthis character.

Another obj ect'of the invention is the provision of an improvedconstruction of device which will absolutely eliminate the so-calledfalse shadow present in the use of present known forms of retinoscopes.

Other objects and'advantages of my improved construction should bereadily apparent by reference to the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, and it will be understoodthat I may make any modifications in the specific details ofconstruction shown and described within the scope of the appended claimswithout departing from or exceeding the spirit of my invention.

Figure I represents a view illustrating the use of my improved,retinoscope Fig. II represents an enlarged'sectional view of one formthereof. Fig. III represents a similar view of another construction.Fig. IV represents a view of a prior art form of device.

In the drawings, in which similar characters of reference are employedto denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral1 designates the main or glass portion of the retinoscope inclosed bySpecification of Letters Patent.

.Patented Jan. 2, 19T?.

Serial No. 113,524.

a suitable frame2 encircling the edge thereof, to which is attached thehandle 3 for manipulation of the device.

In Fig. II, I have shown my device as of curved or meniscus form toprovide a concave mirror, while in Fig. III, I have shown it as plano,formed to provide an ordinary non-focusing mirror, it being understoodthat my improvement is equally adaptable to any desired style of mirror.

In the construction of my improved retinoscope I form the glass in acontinuous disk and apply to one surface thereof a transparentreflecting coating comprising a metallic or other film 4L suflicientlytransparent to permit the operator located at 5 to obtain perfect visionthrough the retinoscope and clearly see the eye of the patient locatedat 6, the film or coating at the same time having sufficient reflectingproperties in connection with the glass 1 to which it is applied to forma satisfactory mirror reflecting the light as from 7 back onto the eyeof the patient for testing in the usual manner.

rThe advantage of this construction should be at once'apparent byreference to Fig. IV, showing the prior art form of construction, inwhich a solid non-transparent coating 10 is placedv on the back of theglass l, and in which a central peep hole or aperture 8 is provided,'through which the operator must peep at the eye of the patient, thereflectind device being ordinarily mounted on a meta or other disk 11having an aperture coincident with the aperture through the mirror andbeing absolutely opaque.

This form of device has always been open to considerable objection inthat in actual practice but a limited central portion approximately thatinclosed by the arrow 9 is really used for throwing the beam of lightonto the eye of the patient, while this portion of the retinoscope isbroken up as by the aperture 8. The retinoscope loses considerable ofits eiiciency while at the same time many operators complain of a falseshadow in the eye on account of this break in the projecting surface,and consequent break in the beam of light` rendering the eiicient use ofthe retinoscope much more difficult.

Y Y rays from being reflected onto-the eye of the Y In addition there isthe usual optical Vob-y jections'to visionY through a restricted aperture such asthe aperture 8, combined Withl the strain on the eve of theoperator, the

fact that the light from 7 shines through. the Y Y no necessity forsquinting or peeping asis necessary Yin previous forms.

The', opera-A v.tm'iuses his eyeoto look direct into the eye Vof thepatient in the usual manner andV is,

therefore, able to obtain much Vbetter results Y and has amoreeffectivefield for reflection of the `desired .beam of light, and'at'thesame time a very much bettervisionthan is possibleV With the Vold forms.Y

VTo additionally yincrease the efficiency of my device'l may if desired4form the glass Vof the operator. termed the ,more essential feature, inthatv Y yportion 1 of Sir William Crookesy or other desired glass,having the'k property of absorption of ultra violet or harmful rays,

in which event the film or coating 4 is prefhave clear vision throughthe disk and coat-Y 'Y .erably placed on .the rear of the glass, or in Yglass will absorb the ultra violet portion of thespectrum preventing any.harmful patient, and more especially absorbingY these rays andpreventing their reaching the eye This may rpossibly be the patient Vissubjected for but a shorttime to the reflection of the rays in anyevent,

Y While the operator, if a busy refractionist, must use the instrumentmany times a day and each time is subject to the directV light vinto:his'eyes from ,the source of illumination 7 Whichis liable in the caseof ordinary retinoscopes to 1n time injure his eyesight, a thingpreventedby the'use of my improved and at the same .time absorbingVharmful'rays 'i and preventingV their reaching his eye.V Y

I claim':

l. A retinoscope, comprising a continuous transparent ldisk having a'transparent 're-V fleeting coating applied'thereto, whereby the Vdevicemay be employed'to casta beam ofA light into the eyeof a patienty and atthe lsame time permit of uninterrupted inspec-Y 2. A retinoscope or thelike,"rcomprising a Y Y transparent disk having the property 'ofselective absorption of light rays, said dish having applied thereto atransparent reiecting coating whereby light'impinging on l the disk Willbe reflected back in the direc- Y tion `of'its origin While an operatorYmay ing in the direction of the projected light.

3. A retinoscope composedv Vof Vsuperimn posed transparent layers, oneof saidrlayers having the property of selective absorption andthe otherofselective reflection Oflight Y. Y n, ,70.7.

rays.V l

4. A retinoscope comprisingsuperimposed transparent layers, one Yof saidlayers havf ing Ythe propertyof reflection offlight'rays.YY l if 5. Aretinoscope'comprisingsuperimposed Y Y Y,

transparent layers, one of said layersfhaving the property of selectiveabsorption of light rays, and the other of said layers having theproperty of reflection of rays'ln the `visiretinoscope, giving himcbothbetter `vision' Copies oi this patent may be obtained for Yrive centseach, yby addressing the Commissioner ofjPatents,

and reflective as to ble spectrum.

thereon- Y 6. vA retinoscope inthe form of a 'confV tinuous unpierceddisk 'transparent' to visionY light rays impinging In testimony whereofI afx signa# ture in the presence of two Witnesses.` l, f

LUcrANW. Bussen Y -Wasnington, 111C.

